Copper as a Precious Resource Introduction: Copper is a precious resource whose intricate steps can be traced from its beginning as a raw product to the final product. The life of copper can be followed by its extraction, processing and disposal. All these steps, including the waste produced, impact human life and the environment. The development of resources, such as copper, helped change history. The environmental impacts of these changes could also be felt. Therefore, it is important to understand the inputs and outputs of the process. This way you can see what resources and what waste products come out of this resource. Only then can appropriate methods be adopted to properly manage this resource. Resource Source: Copper is an important mineral resource used in many different areas. Its properties of high ductility, malleability, and thermal and electrical conductivity, as well as its resistance to corrosion, make copper very useful as a major industrial metal (http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/copper ). Copper can be refined from metal ores or copper scrap so that it can be used as a powder in automotive, aerospace, electrical equipment, encrusting compounds, and various chemical and medical processes. Copper compounds can be found in fungicides, wood preservatives, copper plating, pigments, electronic applications and specialty chemicals. It can be produced as a primary product or as a coproduct of gold, lead, zinc, or silver (http://nuclear.hazard.uiuc.edu/packets/primmetals/chapter5.htm). After steel and aluminium, copper ranks third in global metal consumption. In 1990, the major copper-consuming nations were...... half of document ....../how/howdo3.htm).Introduction to the hydrometallurgical process. Retrieved (29/01/02), (http://teach.eac.cc.az.us/pmcbride/HTML%20Presentation%20folder).Mining Technology-WMC Copper- Uranium Mine- Olympic Dam- South Australia. Retrieved 2 /11/02 from the World Wide Web: http://www.mining-technology.Com/projects/Olympic/.National Slag Association: Uses of Iron and Steel Slag. Retrieved 3/5/02 from the WorldWide Web: http://www.nationalslagassoc.org/uses.html.Newly Mined Copper: Why Do We Need It? Retrieved 3/5/02 from the WorldWide Web: http://innovations.copper.org/199810/virgincopper.html.Production, Import, Use, and Disposal. Retrieved 3/5/02 from the World Wide Web: http://www.astdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp132-c4.pdf.TVA: Copper Basin Reclamation. Retrieved 11/2/02 from the World Wide Web: http://www.tva.gov/environment/land/coppper.htm.